Men's Soccer—Archives

July 7, 2014

Soccer team holding tryouts

The men’s soccer team is looking to add to its squad for the 2014 season.
Interested players can try out for the team on Friday, Aug. 1, 10 a.m.-noon, on
the field behind Building P. For more information, contact head coach Chuck
Bales at (708) 974-5401 or bales@morainevalley.edu.

With all the ups and downs, Cyclones pleased with 2013 season

Taking penalty kicks in the qualifier rounds of Region IV playoffs was not the
ideal way to end 2013, but the Cyclones couldn’t be upset with the effort, a
winning record and improved all-around play to cap their year.

Coming from a losing record in 2012, the Cyclones, especially returning players,
wanted redemption. They certainly reached that goal with an overall 9-6-1 record
and a second place finish in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference thanks to
a 4-3 conference record.

“Coming in second was good. This year my main goal was to erase the trauma of
last season, get back to winning in the correct way and play good soccer. Our
focus was on playing a good passing game, moving around a lot. I recruited well
and many returners were hungry because of last year’s disappointment. It all
came together quite well,” said head coach Chuck Bales.

In their final game against McHenry County College, the Cyclones had yet to come
out of a match goal-less. After two overtimes and a 0-0 score, Moraine Valley
fell in penalty kicks, but worked hard every minute. Throughout the year they
were never overmatched in any game except one with Morton College when they lost
5-1. With some tweaking, the Cyclones rebounded. Some of the losses were only by
one goal, oftentimes just mistakes. Overall the teams in Region IV were so
evenly matched that no one could expect easy wins, but Moraine Valley had more
than most.

“Overall it was a good season. We found our home base again in terms of how we
should play. There were ups and downs, but the downs were in little pockets
which are to be expected and almost desirable. You have to be careful with an
undefeated team because you wonder when the shoe is going to drop. If we played
these games again we could get a totally different outcome,” Bales said. “All
the teams in Region IV are so equal, but we didn’t capitulate. After that last
loss of the season, the guys were upset, but they can hold their heads up.”

Several players received honors this year including Lutth Tchitembo
(international) and Jordy Padilla (Eisenhower), both named to the NJCAA
All-Region IV team. They also had nods to the All-Conference first team along
with sophomore Greg Healy (Stagg) and team captain Joe Mastej (Highland).
All-Conference second team accolades went to Steve Henry (Oak Lawn),
Ranulfo
Pantaleon (Eisenhower), Patryk Paprocki (Curie), and goalkeeper
Chris Vidos
(Brother Rice). Mastej and co-captain Jorge Martinez (Reavis) were key in
helping the squad come together not only through their work ethic, but with
positive attitudes. Bales chalks up some team success to that high team morale
and bonding.

Next season if most of the freshmen return, the team will have a solid base to
build from. Bales also wants the new Health, Fitness & Recreation
Center—scheduled to open in the spring—to be a springboard to help raise the
status of the Cyclones.

October 24, 2013

Penalty kicks hurt Cyclones in playoffs

Penalty kicks was not the way the Cyclones wanted to end their season, but
that’s how the ball rolled Oct. 23. In the qualifier rounds of Region IV
playoffs, the Cyclones faced McHenry County College, a team they beat 2-1 last
month. After a full game plus two overtimes, the finale came down to penalty
kicks. At that time of night it was colder, darker and the players were at
the point of exhaustion. When it comes to penalty kicks, anything is possible,
and the Cyclones came up short for their final loss of the season.

October 21, 2013

Cyclones stun Daley

Unlike their previous matchup with Daley College the week before, the Cyclones
came through on Oct. 19 to advance to the next round of playoffs. The two teams
met in the first round of the NJCAA Region IV qualifier finals with Moraine
Valley blanking Daley, 3-0. Greg Healy scored twice with one assist from Luis
Navarrete and Patryk Paprocki scored the third goal.

October 16, 2013

Cyclones take second in conference; next stop—playoffs

For the Cyclones, their last regular season game on Oct. 15 was only half an
effort. Despite a strong first half against Daley College, Moraine Valley
couldn’t maintain it, falling 3-2.

The first goal was a Daley own-goal. Greg Healy scored the second goal with an
assist from Patryk Paprocki. This left the Cyclones in second in the Illinois
Skyway Collegiate Conference, a stronger finale than they’ve had the past couple
of years. They start a playoff run on Oct. 23.

October 14, 2013

’Clones blank Cavaliers

The Cyclones grabbed another region victory Oct. 12 when they blanked Kankakee
Community College 2-0. Sophomore Marko Enciso scored the first goal unassisted
while freshman Leonides Lezama scored with an assist from sophomore Joe Mastej.

October 9, 2013

Tough loss for ’Clones

It was a rough outing for the Cyclones on Oct. 8 as they nearly defeated an
unbeaten Waubonsee Community College squad.

The Cyclones took a 3-2 lead just before the half after being down 2-1 with 12
minutes to go. What really hurt the Cyclones were penalty kicks—two—and a red
card for Patryk Paprocki. One penalty kick goal came five minutes into the
second half to tie the score. The second came at the end of the game to hand
Moraine Valley the 4-3 loss.

October 7, 2013

Cyclones come out ahead

Moraine Valley played the dominating role and stopped a losing skid on Oct. 5
with a 2-1 win over Truman College. Greg Healy scored on a penalty kick while
Lukasz Duda scored the second goal with help from Jordy Padilla. The Cyclones
would have blanked Truman if not for a soft goal they gave up with five minutes
left in the game.

October 2, 2013

Tough loss for ’Clones

The Cyclones couldn’t hold on Oct. 1 in a battle with Elgin Community College,
falling 3-2 in the end. Sophomore Lukasz Duda and freshman Leonides Lezama each
scored.

September 30, 2013

Cyclones fall to Sandburg

The Cyclones had their first region loss and second loss of the season
on Sept. 28 in a tight matchup with Carl Sandburg College. Within the first
half, freshman Gilberto Andrade scored a goal with an assist from Greg Healy to
tie the game at 1-1. Sandburg made a comeback after halftime to deal the 2-1
loss to the Cyclones.

September 25, 2013

Cyclones shut out Oakton

The Cyclones match up with Oakton Community College on Sept. 24 was a big
game. With both teams vying for the second place spot in the conference, this
meet-up was important. The pressure was on, but Moraine Valley just edged out
Oakton 1-0.

Marko Enciso scored the lone goal in the first half and was assisted by Luis
Navarrete. After halftime the Cyclones lost some momentum and had to step up the
defense. Keeper Chris Vidos made some big stops that could have changed the
outcome of the game.

September 23, 2013

Offense thrives in Cyclone win

The Cyclones gave Kishwaukee College a beating on Sept. 21 resulting in a
6-1 victory. Greg Healy was all over the net, scoring three times. Lutth
Tchitembo, Gilberto Andrade and Jordy Padilla also scored.

September 18, 2013

Cyclones edge out Scots

The Cyclones played well enough on Sept. 17 and, with a little help from
McHenry County College, grabbed another win, and more importantly another
conference win.

Patryk Paprocki scored the first goal for the Cyclones while the second was
McHenry’s own goal, giving Moraine Valley the 2-1 edge.

September 16, 2013

Cyclones end in deadlock

There was nothing but fight in the Cyclones Sept. 14
as they faced College of DuPage. After no score by halftime, Luis Navarette
sliced one in, but not before keeper Chris Vidos gave up a soft goal despite an
otherwise solid game at the net. The game ended in a deadlock, 1-1.

September 11, 2013

Clones take down Pioneers

In a tight matchup Sept. 10, the Cyclones were able to eke out a goal for the
1-0 win over Prairie State College. Greg Healy scored unassisted.

September 6, 2013

Cyclones outplayed at home

Despite playing on their home field, the Cyclones were undone Sept. 5
by Morton College, falling 5-1 to the Panthers. Overall, Moraine Valley lacked
intensity and drive in this matchup. Freshman Lutth Tchitembo scored the lone
goal unassisted.

September 3, 2013

Cyclones notch win

The Cyclones kept things rolling along Aug. 31 with a 3-1 win over
Kennedy King College. Steve Henry and Greg Healy each scored unassisted goals
while Patryk Paprocki scored the last one with an assist from Healy.

August 28, 2013

First OT match of season lands a win

The Cyclones kicked off their season with a win in their home opener on
Aug. 27. It was a nail biter against Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference rival
College of Lake County as Moraine Valley took the win, 3-2, in overtime. Fuad
Haleem, Patryk Paprocki and Greg Healy scored the goals with assists from Jordy
Padilla and Paprocki.

August 26, 2013

Cyclones ready to face 2013

With a team packed with talent, the 2013 Cyclones expect improved play
over last season and a better fitness level to sustain them through a playoff
run.

Last year the Cyclones’ endurance trailed off at the end of the season during a
bombardment of playoff games. This year the coaches are emphasizing better
conditioning and focusing on the big picture. As the season progresses, the team
will continue to develop and gel. Head coach Chuck Bales hopes that the improved
fitness will help at the end of the season in crunch games that matter. They
want to be “in it to win it,” in 2013. There’s a talented roster to do so.

“We have some solid soccer grads from area high schools, good numbers and good
talent. This is a homogenous group, so there will be good competition among
players for spots in the lineup. It’ll be a good season to watch. I’m excited
about the group. I have a lot of players to work with and make sure to push
them,” Bales said. “We should have a better record than last year, but like
always, there are two seasons: the conference and the region.”

The Cyclones will be competing on a new game field this season, west of Building
P and the softball field, which was the previous site of the team’s practice
fields. Their next game is Saturday, Aug. 31, 2 p.m., against Kennedy King
College.

October 31, 2012Cyclones finish up in playoffsAnother tough season is down in the books for the Cyclones. Things just
didn’t go their way this year, but several freshmen players, and sophomores, had
some shining moments that bode well for 2013, including a team trip to Spain in
the spring.

A shallow roster, smaller team and some absences took a toll, leaving the
Cyclones with a 4-7-2 overall record and 1-4-2 Illinois Skyway Collegiate
Conference record. They ended the season in the first round of playoffs on Oct.
24. Nearly every game was tight. The team was close and bonded well, playing
hard every game. “We fought until the very end. They gave it their all in every
match; they tried,” said coach Chuck Bales. “We have some very good players.
Pawel Rychtarczyk (Reavis) is quality through and through. He’s a fighter and
the reason we got the wins we did and stayed in games. He was a threat.”

Aside from Rychtarczyk, there were few starting sophomores to lead the way, but
they were strong. Edward Vallejo (Reavis) was a talented ball passer while
captain Kris Dolinsky (Indiana) made sure the team was together. A task master,
he did the small things so everyone was on the same page in training and games.
Those sophomores will be missed, Bales said.

Along with freshman captain Luis Navarrete (Shepard), who “worked his socks
off,” Bales said other freshmen who played “fantastic” this season—Jair Castanon
(Reavis), Marko Enciso (Reavis) and Joe Mastej (Highland)—will make a difference
in next year’s squad. Often times it’s hard to field any goalkeepers, let alone
quality ones, but the Cyclones had four. Freshmen Max Boyso (Eisenhower),
Jonathan Caratachea (Eisenhower), Tom Rice (Shepard), and Mousa Sheikh (Reavis)
all made some noise at the net. “They were all fantastic. They were mature,
responsible players, and it was hard not to have them all play every game,”
Bales said.

For their efforts, Rychtarczyk earned All-Conference first team honors while
Dolinsky, Navarrete and Vallejo were named to the second team.

“It was a difficult season with a small roster, but because we played so many
freshmen for the whole season, the outlook for next year and the experience of
the returners will be high,” Bales said.

October 25, 2012One last hurrah for Cyclones
The Cyclones hit the NJCAA Region IV qualifier finals on Oct. 24 ready to play,
but missed some scoring opportunities and couldn’t get the ball past with Elgin
Community College, falling 1-0.

October 10, 2012Tough road for ’ClonesLacking four starters on Oct. 9, the Cyclones fell 2-1 to the College of Lake
County. Kris Dolinsky scored the lone goal from a penalty kick.

October 8, 2012Cyclones fall to ChaparralsIn only their second shutout of the year, the Cyclones fell 4-0 to College of
DuPage on Oct. 6. Overall the team played well, except for three poorly
uncharacteristic individual mistakes that directly lead to goals.

October 3, 2012It’s a draw for CyclonesThe Cyclones had another stalemate Oct. 2, this time with conference rival
Waubonsee Community College. The game ended at 2-2. Greg Healy and Pawel
Rychtarczyk continued to lead the offense by scoring for the Cyclones.

October 1, 2012Cyclones shut outAlthough they played well on the field, the Cyclones did not get the results
they wanted Sept. 29. Moraine Valley lost 1-0 to South Suburban College. The
game was very close, and the Cyclones came close to scoring, hitting the
crossbar three times.

September 26, 2012Deadlock for CyclonesSome big changes in the Cyclones lineup due to injuries could have deterred the
team, but they fought through double overtime to a 2-2 tie with Elgin Community
College at home on Sept. 25.

The Cyclones gave up a couple uncharacteristic goals in the first half, but
scored two thanks to the team’s scoring machine Pawel Rychtarczyk. He was
assisted by Greg Healy and Kris Dolinsky. The score was unchanged after
halftime, and although the Cyclones dominated play they were unlucky in front of
the net.

September 24, 2012’Clones shut out KishwaukeeA windy and cold field would be no match for the Cyclones on Sept. 22, who
handily defeated Kishwaukee College 2-0. Both goals were scored by Pawel
Rychtarczyk with an assist by Jair Castanon. The second goal was a free kick.

September 19, 2012Cyclones succumb in second halfIn their last meeting in the 2011 season, the Cyclones knocked Oakton out of the
playoffs in a thrilling penalty kick shootout. Both teams met again on Sept. 18,
but this time Moraine Valley fell short.

The Cyclones were up 1-0 after the first half thanks to a goal by Luis Navarrete
with an assist by Deya Elayyan. Once the second half started, Moraine Valley
lost momentum and allowed three goals in the first 15 minutes, eventually taking
the 5-1 loss.

September 17, 2012Cyclones shut down MATCThere wasn’t much excitement in the Cyclones 4-0 win on Sept. 14 over Madison
Area Technical College, as Moraine Valley was a dominating force on the field.

Within the first 18 seconds of the game, Pawel Rychtarczyk scored the first goal
with the assistance of Jair Castanon. Greg Healy, Joe Mastej and Kris Dolinsky
scored the other three.

September 12, 2012Cyclones handle ScotsCyclones offense was on its A-game Sept. 11 in a 4-1 win over McHenry County
College at home.

Solid defending and quick counterattacks were no match for McHenry, which the
Cyclones outplayed in the first half. The Cyclones had at least an additional
four shots on target stopped by the goalkeeper. A mistake by the Cyclones keeper
allowed the lone goal for McHenry. In the second half, Moraine Valley became
more lax, but was able to hold off additional goals by the Scots for the win.

Pawel Rychtarczyk led the offense with two goals, while Greg Healy scored one.
Kris Dolinsky notched one on a penalty kick.

September 7, 2012Misstep for CyclonesIn a heartbreaker, the Cyclones fell 4-2 on Sept. 6 in an Illinois Skyway
Collegiate Conference matchup with Prairie State College. The two goals for
Moraine Valley were scored in the first half by Lukasz Duda (Reavis) and in the
second half by Luis Navarrete (Shepard).

September 1, 2012Cyclones shut out WolvesCyclones defense was on fire Aug. 31 in the team’s home opener against Joliet
Junior College. Despite hot and humid conditions, the Cyclones blanked the
Wolves 2-0.

All of Moraine Valley’s scoring came in the first half by Pawel Rychtarczyk (Reavis).
Defense kept the Cyclones ahead, particularly in the second half with some good
saves and blocks by the goalkeeper, Tom Rice (Shepard).

August 29, 2012Cyclones fall to PanthersIt was an evenly played game for the Cyclones who kept things close with
conference rival Morton College. Unfortunately Moraine Valley ran out of time
Aug. 28, falling 4-3 in their season opener.

The ball changed hands in a lot of back and forth play with the Panthers up 2-0
before the Cyclones tied it at the half. With 10 minutes left in the second
half, Morton scored the go-ahead goal to deal Moraine Valley its first loss of
the season.

Pawel Rychtarczyk (Reavis) scored twice and Deya Elayyan (Stagg) scored the
third goal for the Cyclones.

August 23, 2012New players, new system, new year for CyclonesThe Cyclones won some hard fought battles in 2011, finishing as one of the top
four teams in NJCAA Region IV. With a number of all-conference and all-region
players absent, the squad looks to its four returners, including All-Region and
All-Conference forward Pawel Rychtarczyk (Reavis), and some tough incoming
freshmen to make some noise on the field.

“There are some very talented new faces. We have a very young team, and I’m
taking this as a positive,” said head coach Chuck Bales, who starts his 13th
year at the helm. “Maybe this year will be a little tough, but I modified our
system of play to help and give us the best advantage. We can build on this and
should be in even better shape next year.”

Rychtarczyk was the Cyclones’ leading scorer last year. This fierce competitor
has speed on the field that should be a great asset once again. Edward Vallejo (Reavis)
was injured toward the end of last season, which was a big loss. He looks
healthy, and Bales is excited to have the midfielder back in the lineup.
Venezuelan-born midfielder Alan Ward finished his first year looking strong and
fast and is expected to continue that momentum. Cristofer Martinez (Hubbard)
also returns with hopes of building on his progression and working toward a
starting position.

Some of the new talent will come from Stagg grad Greg Healy, who played with the
Chicago Fire Academy. He plays midfielder/forward, but can play everywhere on
the field. Mike Rusnak (Stagg) also will be key on defense with his intelligent
ball-handling. Midfielder Kris Dolinsky (Indiana) has college playing experience
from his time at Iowa Wesleyan and should bring his soccer knowledge to the
field. Lukasz Duda (Reavis) is a strong forward who also will add to the mix.

This season the Cyclones have three solid goalkeepers in Max Boyso (Eisenhower),
Jair Castanon (Reavis) and Mousa Sheikh (Reavis). “We’re going to have good
competition in the goalkeeper position,” Bales said.

“It’s going to be tough this year. We’ll be learning a new system that will
hopefully cater to the players we have,” Bales said. “Every game will be a
chance to figure things out and improve for the next game. We’ll be a strong
team, but it’s a long way between now and the end of the season. We’ll have to
work hard.”

Rejoining Bales is Nolberto Damian as goalkeeper coach who will be accompanied
by new assistant coach Albert Palar.